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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. race — a contest
  8. track — a song
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. race — humankind
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bat — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. race — the arms race
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. track — a path
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com